Fresh off claiming its first conference title since 2014, the Hobart College football team was selected as the preseason favorite in a vote by the league’s head coaches. The Statesmen compiled an overall record of 9-2 in 2024 and recorded a perfect 6-0 mark against league opponents.
The Liberty League will feature eight football programs in 2025 for the first time since 2017, with Hilbert College joining as an associate member. Hilbert, which launched its football team in 2022, joins the league after competing last season in the Empire 8. With the addition, all league schools will now play a seven-game conference schedule.
Hobart earned the top spot in the 2025 Liberty League Football Preseason Poll, collecting six first-place votes (coaches may not vote for their own teams) and totaling 48 points. Ithaca College was selected second with two first-place votes and 44 points, trailing the Statesmen by just four. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) secured third place with 36 points, while the University of Rochester rounded out the top four teams with 30 points. Union College (26) and Buffalo State University (18) were picked fifth and sixth, respectively, followed by St. Lawrence University (15) and Hilbert College (7).
Hobart College
Hobart is seeking its first back-to-back conference titles since claiming four consecutive from 2011 through 2014. Despite the graduation of some key pieces from the 2024 squad, the Statesmen are poised to make a run at the 2025 title. They welcome back eight starters to the offense, including Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year E.J. Taylor and Liberty League Rookie of the Year Johnny Harding. Taylor was the only Liberty League rusher to amass 1,000-plus yards, closing out last year with 1,196 yards (5.7 yards per carry). He also paced the conference in rushing touchdowns (12), total touchdowns (14), and points per game (7.6). Harding had a breakout first year with the Statesmen as the rookie recorded at least one reception in every game last season. He finished 2024 with 43 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. Punter Vicente Lyon (All-Liberty League First Team) also returns for the Statesmen. The D3Football.com Preseason All-American averaged a league-best 43.6 yards per punt during his junior season (4th, NCAA Division III). His season-best punt of 86 yards was the longest in Hobart history and the longest in NCAA football, any division. He totaled 10 punts that were more than 50 yards and 10 that were inside the opposing team’s 20.
A trio of All-Liberty League selections highlight Hobart’s defensive returnees: Zeshan Dixon (first team), Mike McGhee (second team), and Alex Smith (second team). Dixon played in all 11 games and totaled 46.0 tackles (23 solo, 23 assisted) to go along with two pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. McGhee (11 games) finished third on the team in total tackles with 61.0 (27 solo, 34 assisted). He recorded team-highs in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (5) while also ranking second in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (3.0). McGhee made at least three tackles in every game and was among the league’s top 10 in interceptions per game (6th, 0.27) as well as passes defended per game (8th, .73). In 11 games last season, Smith produced 29.0 tackles (19 solo, 10 assisted), four tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.
Ithaca College
Ithaca had a strong 2024 campaign, wrapping up the year at 6-4 overall and going 6-1 against conference foes. The Bombers will look to finish atop the league standings again in 2025 after winning conference titles in 2022 and 2023. Carson Ciancuielli, an All-Liberty League first team selection, headlines a defensive corps that held opponents to 12.5 points per game last season, good for second in the conference. Ciancuielli, a D3Football.com Preseason All-American, logged 24 total tackles with five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Ciancuielli will be bolstered by the return of defensive backs Sam Tourangeau and Joe Spirra. Tourangeau only played in the 2024 season opener at Johns Hopkins before being sidelined by an injury (13 tackles, 2 pass breakups). In 2023, he finished the year with 22 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Spirra was recognized with All-Liberty League honorable mention accolades following his rookie season last year. He was the team’s leader in interceptions (4) and pass breakups (7) while ranking third in tackles (53) and assisted tackles (34). The Bomber offense will be piloted by Matt Parker (All-Liberty League honorable mention), who earned the starting quarterback role for the final seven games of the regular season in 2024. He threw for 1,531 yards and 11 touchdowns, recording a league-best 67.8 completion percentage. He also rushed for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wide receivers Nick Lang (All-Liberty League second team) and Nick Matos are back; they were two of Ithaca’s top offensive weapons last season. Lang (10 games) totaled 41 receptions for 531 yards and six touchdowns. Among league leaders, he was third in catches and touchdowns and fifth in yards. In nine games, Matos recorded 27 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns. They both tallied at least one reception in every game they played last season.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI is on the hunt for its first Liberty League title since earning a share of the 2021 crown heading into the 2025 campaign. The Engineers wrapped up last season with an overall record of 5-5 (3-3 Liberty League). It is the 12th straight year RPI compiled an overall record of .500 or better. They are fully loaded in 2025 with seven starters back on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The offense is headlined by running back Kayden White and wide receiver Hayden Faraday. White, an All-Liberty League second team honoree, rushed for 484 yards and led the team in touchdowns with eight. He also totaled 78 receiving yards on 13 receptions. White finished third in the conference in rushing yards per game (53.8), third in rushing touchdowns, fifth in total rushing yards, and fifth in yards per carry (5.5). He was also among the top five in scoring (5th, 48 points). Faraway made 37 catches for 467 yards and two touchdowns. Among league leaders, he was third in receiving yards per game (58.4) and third in receiving yards per catch (12.6). Kicker Aleksander Maric will also bring a boost to the offense after leading the team in scoring last season with 49 points. He was 8-of-12 in field goals and 25-of-29 in point-after-touchdowns. A pair of defensive backs in Cassius Johnson and Cortez Garrett, will spearhead the 2025 RPI defense. Johnson was named to the All-Liberty League first team, and Garrett earned a spot on the second team following the 2024 campaign. Johnson amassed 44.0 tackles, including 28 solo and a team-best 11 pass breakups, good for second in the Liberty League. Garrett was second on the team in tackles with 49.0 (34 solo, 15 assisted). He also recorded three pass breakups and a team-best three interceptions.
University of Rochester
Rochester (6-4, 2-4 Liberty League) had a successful 2024 campaign with a 6-4 overall record, the most wins for the Yellowjackets since 2007. They also earned a postseason berth for the first time since 2007 with an appearance in the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl. Rochester will look to build upon that momentum in 2025. Jordy Tawa (All-Liberty League first team) is back and brings a stalwart presence to the Yellowjacket defense. The cornerback was second in Division III with seven interceptions and fourth in passes defended per game (1.8). He also recorded 42 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a league-high 20 passes defended (7 interceptions, 13 pass breakups). Tawa recorded an interception in five consecutive games to open the 2024 season. He will be joined in the backfield by Luke Herter and Judah Thomas. Herter, an All-Liberty League second team selection, posted a team-best 87 tackles (27 solo, 60 assisted) to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one pass breakup. He was fifth among league leaders in total tackles and had three games with double-digit tackles. In only six games last season, Thomas totaled 22 tackles (11 solo, 11 assisted), three interceptions, and three pass breakups. A pair of All-Liberty League second team honorees, Lucas Villaneuva and Jackson Kane, will lead the offense. Villaneuva played guard and helped the Yellowjackets' run game average nearly 150 yards per game in 2024. Kane appeared in eight games, closing out the year with 17 receptions, good for third on the team. He totaled 189 yards and scored two touchdowns. Aidan Papantonis is also a key returnee for the Yellowjackets; he appeared in all 11 games last season, recorded 40 receptions for 406 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 137 yards on 22 carries.
Union College
Union opens the 2025 campaign with a core nucleus of veteran players back in Schenectady, including a trio of All-Liberty League honorees: offensive lineman Nick Olivola (second team), quarterback Patch Flanagan (honorable mention), and defensive lineman Charles Johnson (honorable mention). Olivola and Flanagan will direct the offense; they both played in all 10 games last season. Flanagan was second among Liberty League quarterbacks in passing yards (1,898) and passing touchdowns (15) while pacing the Garnet Chargers in rushing with 48.1 yards per game and three rushing touchdowns. He was sixth in the Liberty League in total rushing yards (481), fifth in yards per game, and seventh in yards per carry (5.0). Two of Union’s top receivers are also back with the return of Gil Rivera and Isaiah Russell. Rivera led the team with 568 receiving yards on 34 catches and scored four touchdowns. Among league leaders, he was fourth in receiving yards while also ranking fourth in yards per game (56.8) and yards per carry (16.7). Russell made 16 catches for 226 yards, good for third on the team. Johnson highlights the team’s defensive returnees; he totaled 33 tackles on the year (14 solo, 19 assisted) as well as nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He will be joined by Jordan Black and John Droggitis. Black was third on the team in tackles (59), fourth in tackles for loss (5.0), and fourth in sacks (1.5) while Droggitis led the Garnet Chargers in interceptions (2). Droggitis also totaled 53 tackles (23 solo, 30 assisted), 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.
Buffalo State University
Buffalo State wrapped up the 2024 season with its most wins since 2017 and its first conference victory since 2019. The Bengals welcome back an experienced squad to kick off 2025, and they will be led by quarterback Amir Cameron, wide receiver Mikai Johnson, and linebacker Sincere Green. Cameron made eight starts last season, totaling 979 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns, along with 257 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Johnson was one of Cameron’s top passing targets, making 25 catches for 417 yards. He also scored a pair of touchdowns. Green was recognized with All-Liberty League first team accolades in 2024 after recording a league-high 17.0 tackles for loss. He also registered a team-best 78.0 tackles (48 solo, 30 assisted), which was third among conference leaders, to go along with 4.5 sacks, four pass breakups, one interception, and one forced fumble. Green anchored the Bengal defense that finished second among conference teams in forced fumbles (10) and fumble recoveries (7), as well as among the top five in sacks (4th, 16). Other key defensive returnees include Brody Stevens (8 games, 48.0 tackles) and Nicholas Bradt (6 games, 20.0 tackles).
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence will be a seasoned team in 2025 with 20 seniors on the roster as the Saints aim to improve upon a 3-6 overall record. They are headlined by the return of Ryan Surhoff and Clayton Fogler, who were both recognized as All-Liberty League selections last year. Surhoff (second team) tallied 29 solo tackles, 34 assisted tackles (63.0 total), as well as nine for loss and two sacks. He also had three pass breakups. Fogler (honorable mention) was the team’s leading scorer with 33 points on the year, thanks to a perfect 7-for-7 in field goals and going 12-of-13 in point-after-touchdowns. He also totaled 29 kickoffs for 1,548 yards for a 54.1 average and two touchbacks. Will Lederman will also be a key piece to the St. Lawrence offense this season. He was the Saints’ top rusher in 2024 with 313 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 39.1 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry and was among the league’s top 10 in rushing touchdowns (4th), rushing yards per game (8th), and total yards (9th). Shea Goodwin is back to lead the team’s wide receivers. In eight games, he finished last season with 29 catches for 319 yards, good for second on the team, and a touchdown. Savino Morelli returns as a junior after leading the Saints in tackles last year with 68 (27 solo, 41 assisted). He also totaled six tackles for loss, one interception, and one pass breakup.
Hilbert College
Hilbert kicks off the 2025 campaign in its fourth season as a varsity program as the Hawks join the Liberty League as an associate member. Mike Hanlon headlines the team’s returning players after a breakout rookie season that garnered him 2024 All-Empire 8 second team honors. In seven games, Hanlon compiled 489 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. He was sixth in the Empire 8 in rushing yards per game (69.9) and eighth in total rushing yards. Quarterback Brody Hopkins returns after starting six games last season. He completed 10 passes for 187 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. Hilbert also welcomes back Scotty Winchell and Sherrad Patterson to mind the defense. Winchell was second on the team in tackles last season with 50 (25 solo, 25 assisted) to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. Patterson totaled 18 tackles (8 solo, 10 assisted), 4.5 tackles for loss, and one interception.
The 2025 Liberty League football season gets underway on Thursday, September 4, with Buffalo State hosting SUNY Brockport. On Friday, September 5, a pair of games is slated to kick off at 7 PM when Hobart travels to Alfred University and St. Lawrence takes on Norwich University. Five games close out the opening weekend on Saturday, September 6, with three teams on the road and two at home. RPI heads east to play Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Union travels to Susquehanna University, and Hilbert will play Saint Vincent College, while Ithaca and Rochester have their home openers against Johns Hopkins University and the University of Olivet, respectively. League play starts on Saturday, September 20 (Ithaca at Hilbert). The first full weekend of conference play is set for Saturday, September 27: Rochester at RPI, Buffalo State at Hilbert, Hobart at Ithaca, St. Lawrence at Union.
2025 Liberty League FB Preseason Poll
Place. Team, Points (First Place Votes)
- 1. Hobart, 48 (6)
- 2. Ithaca, 44 (2)
- 3. RPI, 36
- 4. Rochester, 30
- 5. Union, 26
- 6. Buffalo State, 18
- 7. St. Lawrence, 15
- 8. Hilbert, 8